This dairy-free pistachio tres leches cake is made with wholesome ingredients. There’s no boxed cake mix, no artificial pistachio flavor, and no food dye. It’s also gluten-free, and it’s soaked with a creamy dairy-free mixture that results in a cake that’s rich, moist, and so decadently delicious.

This pistachio tres leches cake differs from most. For one, it is dairy-free. Second, it is gluten-free. Third, there’s no boxed mix or artificial pistachio flavor or green food color. Mostly whole food ingredients result in a cake that has a medium-density crumb and tastes so incredibly delicious. If your sweet tooth is ignited, this is the perfect cake to tame it.

This dairy-free pistachio tres leches happened because I got tired of not finding a dairy-free version when going to local bakeries. So I married that with my love for pistachio in this recipe.

What makes this pistachio tres leches cake different

• Dairy-free. Vegan butter replaces butter; coconut condensed milk, coconut evaporated milk, and coconut cream replace the dairy versions of these.
• Gluten-free. The cake uses almond meal, ground pistachios, and ground oats instead of wheat flour. Make sure to use certified gluten-free oats.
• Mostly whole Foods. This cake is made with ingredients such as homemade pistachio flour, ground rolled oats, almond meal, and a few other pantry staples. No boxed cake mix. It does not contain any artificial pistachio flavoring or green food coloring. 
• Easy to make. After grinding the pistachios and oats, mix them with the rest of the dry ingredients. Then, cream the butter, sugar, eggs, and extracts, and add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and let the oven work its magic!

Ingredients for dairy-free pistachio tres leches cake

The full amounts are in the recipe card below. Here’s what each one does:

• Vegan butter: the dairy-free fat. In addition to what’s used, save a little more to grease the pan.
• Shelled, unsalted pistachios: for that delicious pistachio flavor.
• Almond meal: keeps the cake tender and moist without all-purpose flour.
• Rolled oats: add body and structure. Choose certified gluten-free oats and grind them, or you can use oat flour.
• Baking powder, cardamom, and salt: for adding lift to the cake as well as warmth, and balance to all the flavors.
• Granulated sugar: sweetens the cake and helps give it its texture when creamed with the butter.
• Coconut cream: adds richness and moisture to the batter.
• Eggs: four large eggs hold everything together.
• Almond extract and vanilla extract: the almond and vanilla extracts round out the pistachio.

• Coconut condensed milk, coconut evaporated milk, and coconut cream, or coconut milk, or almond milk: the dairy-free “three milks” for the milk soak instead of whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk.
• Pistachio butter: I used this homemade version, but you can also use store-bought. Pistachio butter stirred into the milk mixture for extra pistachio flavor.

How to make dairy-free pistachio tres leches cake

1. Prep the pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with vegan butter.
2. Cream the butter and sugar. Use a large bowl and an electric mixer and cream these together until they are combined and pale yellow.
3. Add the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each. For this recipe, you do not need to separate the egg whites and egg yolks.
4. Add the flavor. Beat in a tsp vanilla extract (or 2), almond extract, and the coconut cream.
5. Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the ground pistachios, almond meal, ground oats, baking powder, cardamom, and salt. 
6. Fold. Use a spatula to fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined.
7. Bake. Spoon the batter into the pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Use a toothpick to check for doneness. If the toothpick comes out with lots of crumbs on it, then bake for 5 more minutes and check again. Remove from the oven and let cool.
8. Finish. Mix the coconut milks with 2 tablespoons of homemade pistachio butter, and pour some into a large pie dish. Then, remove the cake from the pan and add it to the pie dish with the pistachio milk. Then, pour spoonfuls of the liquid over the cake, and let it soak in. Best served at room temperature.

Tips for the best gluten-free, dairy-free tres leches

• Cool the cake first. Pouring the milk mixture over a warm cake can turn it gummy, so let the cake cool for at least 35 to 45 minutes.
• Mix the milk well. Stir the coconut milk and pistachio butter until as smooth as you like it to be. You can warm the pistachio butter for 30 seconds in a microwave before adding it to the milk so it is easier to mix. I like it a bit chunky, so I left a few bits of pistachios in the milk.
• Serve at room temp. While most tres leches cakes are best served cold, this one is best served at room temperature. The reason is that coconut milk hardens when it’s chilled, making this cake less gooey. However, coconut milk melts quickly when at room temperature.
• Use certified gluten-free oats and check your baking powder and extracts if you’re serving someone with celiac disease.

Variations

• Frosting instead of soaking: top the cooled cake with pistachio frosting or chocolate frosting for a drier, more traditional-style layer cake.
• Garnish: finish with chopped pistachios and a little lime zest.
• Whipped topping: this cake can also be served with a coconut whipped topping. Or, you can whip some coconut whipped cream until stiff peaks form and use that as a topping.

How to store

Store leftovers of this cake in an airtight container in the fridge. It should last a week when stored like this. Make sure to let it come to room temperature before grabbing a slice. This cake can also be frozen. Just thaw it on the kitchen counter until it comes to room temperature. It can be microwaved at room temp for a warmer, creamier cake.

Frequently Asked Questions

Thank you for sharing!